In Washington, no one is willing to give up anything, but when presented with budget numbers, the average citizen tends to do find ways to make things work. Does the wisdom of crowds trump the wise old men in D.C.?

Great respect is due for anyone starting a venture. A tremendous undertaking in leadership is entailed. Here are some ideas in bootstrapping which have been helpful to me, and which I hope will help anyone growing their own organization.

Screw austerity: Science spending in the European Union is about to get a huge boost, at the expense of farming subsidies. The move is an acknowledgment that only by spending money on innovation and future tech can income growth be assured.

Listening to a car manufacturer drone on about how much money its automobile will "save" you over the course of its lifetime is snoozy at best and suspicious at worst. Volkswagen makes the point obliquely by letting you discover it for yourself — in a charming set of animated infographics called "True Life Costs."

It's still a car-salesman tactic in the end — as the incessant voiceover and pop-ups can attest — but the overall experience is so packed with interesting facts and delightful interactive elements, it's hard to hold it against them.